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AIBU?

to think its no wonder people stay on benefits?

245 replies

ruledbyheart · 27/02/2013 12:29

My DP has started a new job getting the only job he has been offered after 1yr of trying, its only part time but we thought its better than nothing and at least he is willing to work.

He is working for a well known pizza franchise doing delivery and took the job on the basis he got a full 24hrs a week yet he is on week two and has only been given 16 so far.

He signed off job seekers to be told he won't receive anything other than the money leading up to sign off so we will have to survive for an entire month on my CTC and somehow live and pay billswith this.

He is eligible for WTC providing he gets the 24 hrs if not we aren't entitled to anything, without this we still have to pay extra on our rent and council tax out of his barely worth it wages.


However if we stayed on benefits we could afford to live no problems.

If his work doesn't give him the hours promised we will barely scrap by yet he couldn't leave and sign on again as he would be told he made himself unemployed.

So pissed off that we are worse off working.

There is no work locally and he struggled to get this.

I can't work at the moment as I'm pregnant and have 3dcs under 5yrs.

Aibu to think this is shit and we should have just saved the hassle and stayed on benefits?
No wonder people dont want to work.

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ruledbyheart · 27/02/2013 12:30

The last part came out wrong, We are glad he is working but if we can't afford to live on it then whats the point.

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HeySoulSister · 27/02/2013 12:34

You don't have the choice to 'stay on benefits' tho do you!?

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ruledbyheart · 27/02/2013 12:36

Well technically no you don't but if you can fake your job sheets and make it look like your trying when you not like some people I know and get away with it for several years I would consider that a choice to stay on benefits.

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EasilyBored · 27/02/2013 12:39

If he's been out of work for a year, perhaps getting pregnant again wasn't the most sensible course of action?

Anyway, yes, it is crap. Minimum wage is bollocks and it's not fair of then to offer a certain amount of hours and then not give them. Is there anyway he can pick up other peoples shifts if they don't want them?

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perceptionreality · 27/02/2013 12:39

If he was promised 24 hours then why isn't he getting that? I don't know anyone who could support a family on 16 hours a week in a pizza franchise.

I don't know or understand the rules of JSA but can you go back to the Job Centre and get advice or get advice from CAB?

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MiniTheMinx · 27/02/2013 12:40

So what are his actual contracted hours?

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noisytoys · 27/02/2013 12:42

YANBU it's a shit situation out there. I was in the same situation not too long ago but thankfully DH got extra hours. You are doing the right thing I really hope it works out for you it is tough trying your best to do what's right but facing barrier after barrier

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nickelbabe · 27/02/2013 12:43

the crappest thing is this, though - if you work more than 16 hours a week, you have to sign off as you are classed as employed, but you don't get WTC unless you work 24 hours,.

why the gap in the system?
why is the government doing this crap?

I'm sorry, ruled i have no idea what you can do - he can't resign because the BA will sanction him and you'll end up with less.

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MunchMunch · 27/02/2013 12:45

Sounds like it going to be a very difficult time for you all. Is there any other part time jobs he could take on like McDonald's, cleaning, handy man work etc?

Does he have the correct car insurance for deliveries? If he gets pulled by the police he could get fined or maybe points and his insurance could be invalid.

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malinois · 27/02/2013 12:45

MiniTheMinx: I suspect his actual contracted hours will be zero.

He will only be paid for hours he actually works, and he won't know how many hours he will be working week to week.

Zero hour contracts are increasingly common and an utterly shit way to treat people.

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ruledbyheart · 27/02/2013 12:48

Easilybored you know nothing about the circumstances surrounding this pregnancy there are other threads about this so next time dont judge unless you know the facts.

He hasn't been contracted for a certain amount of hours just being given shifts on the rota regardless how many hours it totals.

He has spoken to the manager several times and each time manager has promised the 24hrs and not delivered.

Manager also has a tendency of having too many drivers on shift so sends some home cutting shifts short.

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sashh · 27/02/2013 12:49

I know exactly where you are coming from.

I'm disabled so the WTC for me is 16 hours. I was had three part time jobs for the first semester a couple of years ago. I only had 1 day a week's work for the second and it nearly killed me.

I had to use savings to live on. If I hadn't had them I'm not sure what I would have done.

You are doing the right thing. Your children are seeing parents who work and want to work.

I hope he gets some more hours

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EasilyBored · 27/02/2013 12:50

I haven't seen your other threads, but you just thew that fact in without any explanation so forgive me for not being arsed to go searching your other posts.

As I said, it's a shit situation but on not sure there is much you can do about it tbh.

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MiniTheMinx · 27/02/2013 12:50

Maybe the Gap in the system btw 16 hrs and 24 hrs is clearly thought out because they know savings can be made.

Zero hrs contract is not a job is it???? that is like agency, temp work, that is not a contract of employment.

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MiniTheMinx · 27/02/2013 12:53

I don't think doing the right thing by your children should mean they go hungry.

If teaching them that work leaving you hungry is a good thing.... then we may as well bring back slavery and abolish wages!

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malinois · 27/02/2013 12:56

MiniTheMinx Zero hours absolutely is an employment contract and is being widely used by all sorts of NMW employers to cut their costs - most famously McDonalds.

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runningforthebusinheels · 27/02/2013 12:58

Sounds shit - yanbu. I had no idea zero-hour contracts existed Confused

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CloudsAndTrees · 27/02/2013 12:59

You are right. It is shit that with the system the way it is at the moment you can be better off staying on benefits. There is some choice involved because it is relatively easy to fake what you have been doing to look for work, and it's easy to make yourself unemployable.

This is why we badly need reform.

You need to take some responsibility for the situation you are in as well though. It's very difficult to imagine circumstances where it's acceptable to conceive a fourth child when you already have three under fives and neither of you are working. You and your do have created this situation for yourselves.

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Somebodysomewhere · 27/02/2013 12:59

Ive been looking at that today.
I looked at what I could claim if i worked part time if thats all i am offered. I would only just be better off if i work less than 16 hours a week then i can get HB and ctax benefit but I couldnt claim WTC unless i work over 30 hours..Or is it 24 as someone mentioned on here (no children).

I just dont get why there is a gap it means people who work more than the minimum but cant get more hours are left hanging.

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MiniTheMinx · 27/02/2013 13:00

Employment used to equal work which equated to being paid.

Employment now means what exactly? a promise of work at some point in the future, maybe, well sort of, only sometimes, even very rarely.......

Bollocks to that. This is what you get when people don't join unions and keep up the fight for employment rights.

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malinois · 27/02/2013 13:02

Oh and the best thing about zero hours is that you don't need to ever pay redundancy, or have to go through proper dismissal procedures, or deal with 'difficult' employees (you know, women who don't like being groped by managers etc).

You just stop giving out the hours and never have to see them again.

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akaemmafrost · 27/02/2013 13:03

This baby is on its way. Questioning whether or not it was wise adds NOTHING to this discussion except to make those who are doing so sound judgemental and condescending.

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ruledbyheart · 27/02/2013 13:03

Sitting here crying now damn hormones, damned if we do damned if we don't.

Penealized for working and trying to do the right thing its ridiculous.
DP is trying his best but is overcoming depression and struggles with interviews and talking to people hence why he struggled to get any job.
There is nothing around where we live work wise and he was extremely lucky to get this job.

Just feeling like we were better off before he got this job.

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akaemmafrost · 27/02/2013 13:08

Sad don't cry and DON'T listen to anyone on here bitching about your pregnancy it's irrelevant.

I think it sounds like he is trying so hard and you sound very stuck. Can he talk to them and stress the importance of getting the 24 hours?

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ruledbyheart · 27/02/2013 13:08

Cloudsandtrees my 3dc under 5yrs were conceived with my abusive ex husband and when they were conceived we were financially stable.

This dc was concieved after months of tests and being told I was suffering from early menopause as I wasn't ovulating and was bleeding for 9mths constantly. and I was booked for a hysterectomy in July so wasn't planned and is my miracle baby.

Not ideal at all but not really anyones place to judge.

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